More in Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV)

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) continues to make news around the world. Five stories this week looked at the topic of PEDV from a variety of different angles. The stories probe a variety of questions. Will PEDV go away in 2014? How are packers being impacted? Can exports compensate? What is the PEDV news from Mexico?...More

Biosecurity is the best way to prevent spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) advises Paul McGraw, DVM, Wisconsin State Veterinarian. This advice comes after the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) received information that some swine producers are considering transporting virus-laden material from premises with diseased pigs in an effort to build the immunity of their own herds against the disease....More

The downward trend in positive cases of PEDV in Iowa over the past 6 weeks, combined with the seasonal warming conditions. may help reduce survival and spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). Yet the story about both prevention and treatment is still unfolding as more research projects are being studied and reviewed. Unfortunately, research has brought to light the realization that more than one PEDV strain is now present in the United States. These multiple strains and indications of a relatively short period of sow/herd immunity make the ongoing pressures of another PEDV outbreak very real for many producers....More

Prior to the release of the recent United States Department of Agriculture’s March Hogs and Pigs report on March 28, speculation of pig losses due to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, (PEDV) had been all over the charts....More

Richard Wilkes, DVM, State Veterinarian with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), recently announced that Virginia has just received laboratory confirmation of its first case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in the state. In light of this case, which coincides with the beginning of the exhibit season for 4-H members, FFA students and other livestock exhibitors.Wilkes says strict biosecurity is the most effective, as well as the most practical way to prevent the spread of PEDV and many other livestock and poultry diseases....More

Missouri pork producers are stepping up biosecurity measures in their state to keep the porcine epidemic disease virus (PEDV) from spreading. University of Missouri Extension swine nutrition specialist Marcia Shannon said these efforts have helped keep Missouri numbers lower than national figures....More

No new states reported porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) outbreaks during the last week of March, 2014, but Vermont reported a confirmed case during the first week in April. The National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) reported 247 positive accessions out of 802 tested at eight veterinary diagnostic labs in areas that were previously known to have herds battling the disease. In addition, they adjusted the previous week’s number down to 270. According to NAHLN, this maintains the general downward trend in positive case submissions. The announcement of the PEDV case in Vermont following the release of the report means a total of 28 states have at least one confirmed case of PEDV....More

As of March 14, 2014, the Animal Health Laboratory (AHL) had diagnosed Swine Delta Coronavirus (SDCV) in samples from six Ontario pig farms as of mid-March, according to the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV). The pathogen was detected as a result of follow up testing on farms with clinical signs of vomiting and diarrhea, but that tested negative for Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE) virus and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV). Samples of porcine plasma have also tested positive for SDCV at AHL and Iowa State University. The samples submitted were from the same batch that tested positive for PEDV in February 2014....More

Biosecurity concerns for 4-H youth and families with breeding pigs prompted a new self-identification procedure for 4-H members who will exhibit pigs at the South Dakota State Fair. Helping minimize the spread of disease caused by the recent Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) outbreak became a top priority for South Dakota 4-H....More

Prompted by the quick spread of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), Arkansas has joined the growing list of states that have implemented import regulation changes on pigs entering the state, according to Delta Farm Press....More

The Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ISU VDL) has been working hard since early January of 2014 to try to get a better understanding about the increasing diversity of corona viruses that are now circulating in U.S. swine herds. The following update outlines what has been learned so far through diagnostic investigative studies, advanced genomic analysis methods and diagnostic tool development efforts....More

Pork producers and their veterinarians should put a porcine epidemic diarrhea (PEDV) battle plan in place before the disease strikes, says University of Missouri Extension swine specialist Tim Safranski....More

Rabobank recently published a new report on the impact of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) focusing on the North American herd, forecasting significant impacts on pork production and slaughter through 2015, and identifying the opportunity for U.S. poultry to step into the market gap....More

After a few weeks of continued market increases in the hog industry, the only topic on everyone’s mind is how high can these markets go? Looking back just two months, we have seen margins for the next 12 months improve by over $35 per head on what were already historically high margins. Back when this opportunity was presented, most producers took advantage and locked in some very good profits for 2014. However, since that time, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has changed the hog world as we knew it, and I know many individuals have been second guessing their decisions and are trying to manage their business accordingly....More

More than 60 people representing U.S. and Canadian pork, feed and other allied industries recently participated in a meeting focusing on the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) issue, hosted by the National Pork Board, and in collaboration with the National Pork Producers Council, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the American Feed Industry Association, the National Grain and Feed Association, the National Renderers Association and the North American Spray Dried Blood and Plasma Producers, in Des Moines, IA. Although the disease does not affect humans or pork safety, it has infected and killed millions of young pigs on farms of all sizes in 27 states since May 2013 and in four Canadian provinces since January....More

Warning: You may finish reading today’s edition joining President Truman in his demand for “a [expletive deleted] one-armed economist.” There are a many things about which I can begin a sentence “On the other hand . . .”
First, last week’s positive PEDV accession data is a bit encouraging. But so was the previous week’s before it was revised upward! As can be seen in Figure 1, the number of new positive “cases” handled by diagnostic labs fell to 274 for the week that ended March 8. The National Animal Health Laboratory Network curiously dates each week with its first day so you will see that number opposite March 2 in NAHLM’s publications. That number is significantly below the 306, 310 and 311 cases of the previous three weeks but still very, very high....More

Senators Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) are urging Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to approve disaster assistance for small pork producers affected by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). The Senators are asking USDA to use the livestock disaster program, which was permanently extended in the 2014 Farm Bill, to help producers in the 27 states dealing with this deadly disease....More

Despite the efforts of producers, as well as regulators to help protect people from getting sick from foodborne pathogens, a good bulk of the responsibility for food safety may ultimately rest in the hands of the consumers, according to a new book from two award-winning journalists....More